Progesterone - Hormone Replacement Therapy in Sunset Beach, NC

What is Progesterone?

Progesterone is an important hormone of the female reproductive system. Not only does progesterone help regulate the menstrual cycle, but it also helps in the early stages of embryonic and fetal development. Produced in part by the ovaries, progesterone prepares the body for the possibility of pregnancy. It thickens the endometrium and stockpiles nutrients for pregnancy in the uterine wall. If pregnancy takes place, progesterone helps establish the placenta, the protective sac surrounding the developing fetus.

If you have a hormonal imbalance, however, progesterone can cause some very unwanted side-effects:

Irregular and heavy bleeding during menstruation

Early labor (premature birth)

Miscarriage

Increased risk of breast cancer

Congenital adrenal hyperplasia

Increased symptoms of menopause

This essential hormone is also available to treat symptoms of menopause and help control the negative side-effects of specific forms of hormone replacement therapy.

HRT for Progesterone Deficiency

Diagnosing a progesterone deficiency typically requires a blood test and physical exam. If a deficiency is discovered, treatment options do exist, one of the more popular being Hormone replacement therapy (HRT). Available in pill, patch, cream, gel or injections form, progesterone hormone replacement is a treatment for symptoms of prolonged menopause. However, instead of treating the condition directly, progesterone protects patients against the potentially dangerous side-effects of other hormones, namely estrogen. Estrogen can cause the uterine lining to thicken abnormally, which can lead to an increased risk of developing uterine cancer. Progesterone helps control this thickening. Progesterone has also been used to incite menstruation for women who have missed periods.

Hormone replacement therapy (HRT) involves the manufacture and use of synthetic (completely man-made) hormones. The problem with synthetic hormones is not the cost, but rather their effectiveness. Synthetic hormones can’t replicate the body’s hormones exactly—the lab work involved would be monumental. As a result, synthetic hormones used in HRT are largely unrecognized by the body. This renders them relatively inefficient, even potentially dangerous. The unused synthetic hormones have been shown to increase the risk of heart attack and cancer.

BHRT as a Safer Hormone Replacement Alternative

To get around the harmful side-effects of conventional synthetic hormone replacement therapy, bioidentical hormone replacement therapy (BHRT) was devised. By taking and modifying naturally occurring hormones found in plants, BHRT uses hormones that are far more complex and accurate than those of the old HRT.

Bioidentical hormones closely mimic those found in the body, meaning the body recognizes more, uses more, and sees greater results. The harmful unused hormones seen in HRT are not something you need to worry about with BHRT. This is one of the reasons BHRT is thought to be a safer alternative to traditional hormone replacement therapy.

There are some delivery methods available, but perhaps the most popular is the pellet. A hormone pellet is the size of a single grain of rice, which is then implanted into the muscle via quick injection. Over the course of the next few weeks—even months in some cases—the pellet will slowly dissolve administering a controlled, steady dose of progesterone. No more weekly shots or cumbersome pills, you can go about your life as you normally would, while still getting the hormones your body needs.

Each treatment plan and hormone are tailored to each patient. After thorough evaluation and testing, a highly trained pharmacist will create a hormone compound designed to match your individual biochemistry and needs. BHRT is a popular, cutting-edge development in the treatment of hormone deficiency, especially progesterone.